1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaner for removing a solder residue from the copper bit of a soldering tool and, more particularly, to a copper bit cleaner for preventing the temperature of a copper bit from dropping when the solder residue is to be removed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Removal of a solder residue from the copper bit of a soldering tool of the prior art is conducted by bringing the copper bit of the soldering tool into contact with a sponge pad, which is cased in a tray and impregnated with water, and by pulling the copper bit toward the operator and turning it clockwise and counter-clockwise to rub it on the sponge pad thereby to remove the solder residue and a wire residue (both of which will be shortly called the "solder residue") together with a surplus solder which has solidified with the water.
Because the cleaner using that sponge pad removes manually the solder residue, the cleaning operation takes a long time period (e.g., 3 to 5 seconds) to degrade the operating efficiency, and the solder residue removed scatters around the working table to invite a cause for dropping reliability of the products.
With a view to shortening the cleaning period and collecting the removed solder residue, therefore, there has been developed a copper bit cleaner which has another construction (as is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-159264). The construction of the essential portion of the copper bit cleaner will be described in the following. In a casing formed with a bit aperture for allowing the copper bit to be inserted therethrough, first and second sponge rollers are borne by bearings such that they are pressed against each other under a predetermined pressure and that their abutting portions face the aforementioned bit aperture. On the shafts of those sponge rollers, respectively, there are fixed on gears which are in meshing engagement with each other. These gears are driven by a smaller gear which is fixed on the shaft of a reduction drive mechanism having a motor. As a result, the aforementioned sponge rollers are rotated through those gears in directions from the side facing the bit aperture to the abutting portions of the sponge rollers. One of the gears is made to have a more teeth than that of the other so that the sponge roller corresponding to the latter is rotated at a higher speed than the former sponge roller. A solder residue pan is mounted on the bottom of the casing and at the side opposite to that having the bit aperture. The construction thus far described belongs to the copper bit cleaner of the prior art.
In the copper bit cleaner thus constructed, the first and second sponge rollers are impregnated with water, and the copper bit of the soldering tool is forced through the bit aperture into the abutting portions of the first and second sponge rollers. Then, just similar action is established as the aforementioned one which is attained by holding the copper bit between the sponge pads of the cleaner and by pulling the copper bit therefrom in a wiping manner. By this action, the solder residue is removed from the copper bit, and this removed solder residue solidifies with the water contained in the first and second sponge rollers. The solid solder residue is scraped from the surfaces of the first and second sponge rollers by the self-cleaning action resulting from the difference between thier rotating speed, and it is accumulated in the residue pan.
The copper tip cleaner using such rotating sponge rollers has its cleaning period shortened several times and is freed from any scatter of the solder residue on the working table, as compared with the aforementioned cleaner using the sponge pads. Since the sponge rollers have to be impregnated with the water, however, the copper bit cleaner has a difficulty that the copper bit is cooled down. Another difficulty is that the sponge rollers have to be troublesomely supplied with a proper amount of water at least once a day.